Clannad ~After Story~ episode 8 review, accepting the truth and being blessed with good friends.

This episode begins the next day in the reference library with Nagisa loaning Tomoya to Yukine for use as a lap pillow so Yukine can get some sleep. Then Sadou stops by and tells them that the other gang thinks that Kazuto is out of the hospital due to their run in with Tomoyo/Youhei/Kazuto, and later Tomoyo stops by and tells the group that fights inside the city are increasing and that soon the police will get involved. Tomoyo’s advice to the gangs is that they should stop fighting and make peace now. At Kazuto’s club the group finds that the gang is wanting to make a strike at the rival gang, and Yukine decides to go and try and talk to the other gang.

So, Tomoya goes after Yukine and they head off to the other gang’s headquarters. Once there, Yukine tries to convince the other gang to stop their gang war, but the other gang’s members say no way, too many people have been hurt. The other gang leader (Sasaki) tells Yukine that he’s got nothing against her because she’s treated his wounds and fed him in the past, but things can’t end this way. Sasaki tells Yukine that he’ll fight her brother one on one, winner takes all, Yukine has no choice but to agree.

When Tomoya and Yukine return to her brother’s club they tell them about the agreement and they are not happy about the agreement because Kazuto can’t fight in his current condition. Someone mentions that Youhei should do it because he pretended to be Kazuto to begin with, and soon Youhei is drafted to be the replacement for Kazuto. It’s seems that Youhei has also taken credit for taking care if those four guys from the other night so he’s left with no choice but to act as Kazuto. Later that night Yukine tells them that she’s sorry that everyone had to get involved, and she tells them that the other gang members aren’t bad people individually.

So, the next day the two gangs meet at the river for the one on one fight, before Youhei goes to fight Sasaki, Nagisa offers him some rainbow bread and jam that was made by Sanae. When Nagisa pulls out the bread and jam it’s brilliance knocks out Youhei and everyone else from Kazuto’s gang. Someone has to go and fight Sasaki so Tomoya goes to face him in the one on one fight.

Tomoya and Sasaki face off by the riverbank, Sasaki asks where Kazuto is, and Tomoya tells him that he’ll have to do, so Sasaki tells him that he’ll “play” with him for a while. Tomoya tries his best to fight Sasaki but he’s no match for the rival gang leader and he takes an incredible amount of damage while Nagisa and Yukine look on, Nagisa and Yukine figures that the only way that this can end is if Yukine’s brother Kazuto could show up.

Sasaki thinks to fight is over but Tomoya manages to get up and land some blows and the fight drags on for along time and finally they both end up on the ground with Sasaki telling Tomoya that he’s pretty tough but he should stay down. At this point, Youhei and the rest of the crew recovers and when Youhei sees that Tomoya’s been fighting he rushes to his aid followed by the rest of Kazuto’s gang members, and when Sasaki’s gang sees everyone rushing forward they run to join the fight, Tomoya and Sasaki yells at everyone to stop, but no one listens.

Just before everyone is about to fight, Kazuto shows up, and Sasaki and Kazuto rush towards each other to do battle. Sasaki lands the first punch to Kazuto’s face revealing that Yukine has dressed up as her brother Kazuto, she staggers to the ground and Sasaki is in shock about what happened, but Yukine charges him in tears saying that she is Kazuto, Sasaki refuses to hit her and Tomoya rushes to her side and holds her while she is in tears. She says that this is the only way that Kazuto could be here, and she asks them what does it take to make you stop fighting. It turns out that Kazuto really wasn’t in the hospital but instead died in the traffic accident.

The next morning Yukine takes all the gang members to see Kazuto grave site. At his grave, Yukine says that the only reason that they kept Kazuto’s death a secret is because they were afraid that Sasaki’s gang would come after them, and we also learn that Kazuto really didn’t like the fighting and that he wanted it to stop. As Yukine is in tears, Sasaki stands at Yukine’s side and bows their heads in respect for Kazuto, soon the rest of his gang does the same along with Kazuto’s gang. As this is happening Tomoya sees one of the mysterious lights rising in to the sky, Nagisa turns around and asks Tomoya what is happening?

The next day at school, Yukine thanks Tomoya, Youhei, and Nagisa for helping her come to terms with and accepting her brother’s death. Yukine also tells them about a legend concerning their city, every time a moment of happiness or joy occurs, a orb of light is created, and if you can get one of the orbs a wish will be granted. Youhei asks her if that’s what Tomoya saw, and Yukine says that fewer and fewer people can see them now, so Tomoya might be special in some way. Yukine tells the group that she’s blessed to have, and to be supported bu such special friends. Well, that’s all for this episode.

Well, this episode brings an end to Yukine path, and I found this episode more enjoyable that the last one. First of all, I think that Misae was right when she asked Nagisa if she was worried about some other girl grabbing Tomoya, Misae thought that Nagisa was too nice about other girls being around Tomoya. Nagisa might not realize it, but as a guy I can tell her that certain unexpected things can occur when a cute girl uses your lap as a pillow, sorry Nagisa but it’s just biology.

Secondly, there is no end to the amount of trouble that Youhei’s mouth ends up causing him. But, I have to admit that at least he was man enough to step forward when his bluff was called. I did like the sabotage that Nagisa’s mother tried to cause with her rainbow bread and jam, I wonder what jam would taste worse, Nagisa’s mother’s, or Nayuki’s mother’s?

Third, Tomoya really is one tough bastard when he really wants to fight. During the fight he took an incredible amount of damage, he should have been finished in about thirty seconds but he kept getting up for more. While he was able to injure (at least hit Sasaki a few times) he clearly was going to lose the fight to him, it’s a simple equation, boy strenght vs man strenght.

Lastly, I was touched by Yukine rushing to fight as her brother rather than watching other people getting hurt, she would rather be hurt than watch others be hurt. Sasaki was shocked when he saw that he hit Yukine, her actions so stunned everyone that they just lost their lust for blood. Then at he brother’s graveside her sorrow seemed to have reached the gang members and sated their angry for now. Also, Yukine tells us about the legend of the light orbs, and their supposed power to grant a wish. She also confirms that Tomoya just might be special in some way, this pretty much confirms the link between Tomoya and the junk doll in the dream world.

Overall, this was a well done and enjoyable episode that begins to link the normal world to the junk doll’s dream world in a much firmer way, I can’t wait to see the rest of the series, I think I’ll need some tissue paper.

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